Means for rolling tubes



NOV. 25, 1930. A, KELLER 1,782,968

MEANS FOR ROLLING TUBES Filed Feb, 4. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 imam , INVENTOR flmlt' Z Nov. 25, 1930. A T, KELLER 1,782,968

MEANS FOR ROLLING TUBES F l 4, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l NvENTOR Patented I Nov. 25, 1930 UNITED vsrn'rl-zs PATENT OFFICE ALBERT '1. KELLER, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVAN IA, ASSIGNOB I10 BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY MEANS ron' ROLLING roses 7 Application filed February 4, 1927. Serial No. 165,788.

My invention relates to a device for longitudinally rolling a tubular member to lengthen it.

The tubular body is prepared in'any' desired manner and then is rolled between concave rolls to lengthen it.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, of a machine for longitudinally rolling the blank; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of parts of the device shown in Fig. 1. i

For longitudinally rolling a partially completed tube the'mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is employed.

The elongating mill comprises a frame or supporting structure having guides 80, which radiate from the axis of the mandrel 79, about which the blank or partially formed tube is to be placed. The guides include parallel guideways 81. Grooved or concave rolls 82, are-journaled in shoes 84, slidably mounted in the guideways. These shoes are pressed upon so as to carry the rolls against the blank by means of pairs of feed screws 90, adapted to be actuated by worm gears 91 which are slidably keyed thereto. I

The mandrel 79 is carried by mechanism (not shown) actuated by power means that permits of reciprocating movement either independent of, or in unison with, the movement of rolls 82, and of rotating movement according asmay be required.

Each of the shoes 84 is made of forward and rearward sections, and counter-weight means serve to exert rearwardly, acting forces on the forward sections. One of the shoes is shown more in detail in Fig; 6, where it will be seen that the forward section 84' is connected to tension members 85 and 86, these tension members passing over sheaves 87 and 88 and being connected to the counter-weight 89. These counter-weights not only serve to take up for wearin the bearings and maintain a proper relationship of them, but they also assist the power devices, hereinafter described, in retracting the rolls.

The pairs of worm gears 91 are actuated by worms respectively connected to the cross shafts 92, 93 and 94, the shaft 92 beingconnected to a motor 95 by reduction gearin 96, and the shafts 93 and 94 being driven mm the shaft 92.

The connections for this purpose consist of bevel gearing 99 between shaft 92 and shaft 101 and bevel gearing 99 between shaft-101' and worm shaft 93. In a similar way shaft 92 is operatively connected to shaft 94 through the intermediary of bevel gearing 100, shaft 101 and bevel gearing 102.

The grooved rolls are driven in unison from a suitable source of power, such as an an electric motor 103; and the intervening transmission mechanism permits of adjustment of the rolls in the manner already referred to. The motor 103 has its armature shaft 104 connected by couplings 105 and. 106 to shafts 107 and 108, and these latter are connected to shafts 109 and 110 by beveled gearing 111 and 112. The shaft 108 is also connected by beveled gearing 109 to shaft 110', which, in turn, is connected by reduction gearing 111 to' shaft 112'. Shafts 109 and 110 are connected to stub shafts 113 and 114 by bevel gearing 115 and 116. Shafts 112', 113 and 114 are connected to the roll trunnions by coupling connections 117., 118 and 119 respectively.

The operation of the rolling devices here disclosed is more or less obvious.

The tube is'placed over mandrel 79 and motor 95 is put in operation to simultaneously operate the adjusting screw 90 to bring the rolls 82 into operative contact with the tube. Then motor 103 is set in opera-- tion, whereby all the rolls will be simultaneously rotated to feed the tube forward and elongate it. After the tube has made a pass through the rolls it is then turned through a suitable angle in order to bring a fresh surface thereof in contact with the rolls, the motor reverses and the tube passes in thc opposite direction through the rolls; and so on,

repeating the rolling until the tubing is sufficiently elongated.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claim.

Having described my invention what I desire to claim is as follows:

In a mill for rolling tubing longitudinally, the combination of three or more concave rolls arranged in circumferential series with their axes in a plane normal to the axis of rolling, each roll having journals at the ends thereof, bearings for the journals, screw mechanisms for moving the bearings of each roll simultaneously and uniformly inwardly and outwardly, means for actuating the screw mechanisms of the bearings of all the rolls simultaneously, a driving member disposed approximately oppositely to one journal of each of the rolls, a Wobbler coupling between a journal end of each roll and its opposed driving member, a prime mover, and transmission mechanisms for driving each of the driving members simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ALBERT T. KELLER. 

